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Full-Text Articles in Nuclear Engineering
Thermodynamic Characterization And Isothermal Separability Of Heavy Fission Product Chelates For Post-Detonation Nuclear Forensic Analysis, Steven Adam Stratz
Thermodynamic Characterization And Isothermal Separability Of Heavy Fission Product Chelates For Post-Detonation Nuclear Forensic Analysis, Steven Adam Stratz
Doctoral Dissertations
Nuclear terrorism, one of the most critical threats to national security, exhibits complexities that do not exist with similar threats from sanctioned state actors. Responding to a domestic nuclear terrorism strike is difficult when the original source of the weapon may be unknown, given that terrorist organizations (at the time of writing) do not themselves have nuclear technology sufficient to design and build nuclear weapons. Consequently, the development of forensic techniques to help source and characterize nuclear weapons after detonation has recently become an area of interest. This relatively new field of science, known as post-detonation nuclear forensics, aims to …
Improved Sample Utilization In Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometry Isotope Ratio Measurements: Refined Development Of Porous Ion Emitters For Nuclear Forensic Applications, Matthew Louis Baruzzini
Improved Sample Utilization In Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometry Isotope Ratio Measurements: Refined Development Of Porous Ion Emitters For Nuclear Forensic Applications, Matthew Louis Baruzzini
Doctoral Dissertations
The precise and accurate determination of isotopic composition in nuclear forensic samples is vital for assessing origin, intended use and process history. Thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS) is widely accepted as the gold standard for high performance isotopic measurements and has long served as the workhorse in the isotopic ratio determination of nuclear materials. Nuclear forensic and safeguard specialists have relied heavily on such methods for both routine and atypical efforts. Despite widespread use, TIMS methods for the assay of actinide systems continue to be hindered by poor ionization efficiency, often less than tenths of a percent; the majority of …
Modern Advancements In Post-Detonation Nuclear Forensic Analysis, S. Adam Stratz, Jonathan A. Gill, John D. Auxier Ii, Howard L. Hall
Modern Advancements In Post-Detonation Nuclear Forensic Analysis, S. Adam Stratz, Jonathan A. Gill, John D. Auxier Ii, Howard L. Hall
International Journal of Nuclear Security
Deterring nuclear terrorism is a critical national asset to support the preclusion of non-state actors from initiating a nuclear attack on the United States. Successful attribution of a detonated nuclear weapon allows for timely responsive measures that prove essential in the period following a nuclear event. In conjunction with intelligence and law enforcement evidence, the technical nuclear forensics (TNF) post-detonation community supports this mission through the development and advancement of expertise to characterize weapon debris through a rapid, accurate, and detailed approach. Though the TNF field is young, numerous strides have been made in recent years toward a more robust …
Rapid Dissolution For Destructive Assay Of Nuclear Melt Glass, Jonathan Allen Gill
Rapid Dissolution For Destructive Assay Of Nuclear Melt Glass, Jonathan Allen Gill
Masters Theses
This study evaluates four methods for dissolving complex glassy debris resulting from nuclear detonations. The samples of interest simulate the glassy debris generated from a nuclear detonation’s fireball coming in contact with solid masses. Each method attempts to achieve dissolution through different approaches involving either acid digestion, alkaline digestion, or molten salt fusion. Two of the four methods were modified to retain all elements of the debris or surrogate debris. This retention is critical to the proportional relationships used in identifying fuel types and designs of nuclear weapons. Analysis is conducted with an inductively coupled time of flight mass spectrometer …
Exploring Rapid Radiochemical Separations At The University Of Tennessee Radiochemistry Center Of Excellence, Howard L. Hall, John D. Auxier Ii
Exploring Rapid Radiochemical Separations At The University Of Tennessee Radiochemistry Center Of Excellence, Howard L. Hall, John D. Auxier Ii
Faculty Publications and Other Works -- Institute for Nuclear Security
The University of Tennessee formed its Radiochemistry Center of Excellence (RCoE) in 2013 with support from the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration. One of the major thrusts of the RCoE is to develop deeper understanding of rapid methods for radiochemical separations that are relevant to both general radiochemical analyses as well as post-detonation nuclear forensics. Early work has included the development and demonstration of rapid separations of lanthanide elements in the gas phase, development of a gas-phase separation front-end for ICP-TOF-MS analysis, and the development of realistic analytical surrogates for post-detonation debris to support methods development.